The goals of the workshops are to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with respect to the appropriate legal and economic analyses of these issues, as well as to listen to and learn from parties with experience in the agriculture sector. Attendance at the workshops is free and open to the public. The general public and media interested in attending the Wisconsin workshop should *register at* www.surveymonkey.com/s/V3FHXPY.

Please keep in mind if you have not received the questionnaire for some reason, lost it, spilled coffee on it...for whatever reason you have not returned it that it costs the US government 42 cents to process it if returned and $57.00 if an enumerator has to go to your home.

If you cannot find your form, you may get a duplicate in Vernon County by stopped by the FSA office in Viroqua (behind the Great Wall Chinese Restaurant), Coon Valley Library, Viola municipal center, Readstown public library. De Soto library, and the Readstown village hall.  The Census, however, must receive them by April 20th.

For a simpler way to get counted, you can also call a toll free number and they will SEND you one OR you can complete the census on the telephone with the operator.  Call 1-866-872-6868.

The Census will not share any information with the INS, IRS, DNR, FBI, CIA....all data is confidential for over 70 years so illegal aliens, babies, the very elderly, college students, Amish, and other populations should not be worried that Big Brother is going to swoop down and round them up.  

Census data is important to every citizen.  Data from the Census will impact funding for schools, aging programs (Baby Boomers, that's us), highways, and other services for the next ten years.  For every percentage that is not counted, it costs our county millions of dollars.  So you say, "who cares, we shouldn't be getting that money from the government anyway", well, think property taxes.  Less money coming in from other sources means that necessary services such as highways will be supported by your property taxes.  

All Census reporting must be completed by May 1st. Don't delay.  

9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Village Hall
105 W. Main St.
La Farge

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Village Hall
106 W. Wisconsin St.
Viola

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Kickapoo Corners
607 U.S. Hwy. 61
Readstown

Here is an opportnity to have input about rail transportation.  June

Take this Wisconsin rail survey about high speed, freight and commuter rail.  survey is here deadline is April 5 2010.

See what things COULD be with decent rail network:

click here

Where: Concordia Ballroom, 1129 La Crosse Street
When: This Friday Night, January 29th, 6-10pm

DAVID MORRIS, Vice President, Institute for Self-Reliance (Minneapolis, MN)

For more than three decades David Morris has been one of the nation's leading proponents for humanly-scaled, community-based economic and political systems as a prolific writer, speaker and advocate who has provided the basis for an extraordinary array of path-breaking policy initiatives. An economist by training with stellar academic credentials, David is a syndicated columnist and author of more than 200 books and articles on rural communities, energy and sustainability.

More in the full story...

Citizen input is invited.   If you are a possible candidate, or interested in your local government, then attend this important forum.

Nomination papers for County Board may be circulated between December 1, 2009 and January 5, 2010.  Twenty signatures of electors are required
for nomination.  Attorney George Wilbur will be present at the forum to discuss the  requirements to run for a seat on the County Board, along with village and city boards,  in the upcoming spring election.  

If you want to see the county board in action there is video footage from the last board meeting courtesy of the VernonReporter, who is working mightily to bring some alternative news to the area. He has posted other video of the Viroqua Main Street Halloween event, and the open house/tour at Jersey Valley Park and Dam project. Check out that website link for dynamic news about this neighborhood.

 The first video is Karen Dahl proposing a resolution regarding Veteran's Day and moment of silence for those lost at Fort Hood last week.

 The second is the county board action to table (not pass/postpone) the recommended draft of a comprehensive plan for the county.